The document provides an overview of assessment in healthcare, highlighting the systematic collection of data to determine a client's health status and needs. It outlines the objectives, purposes, types of assessments, and the nurse-patient relationship during the assessment process. Various types of assessments such as comprehensive, problem-focused, emergency, and ongoing assessments are described to illustrate their specific applications in healthcare settings.

1. Santosh Kumar
Assistant Professor,
Jinnah Sindh Medical University
Introduction to
Assessment

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Assessment
• It is gathering of information to have all the “necessary
puzzle pieces” to make a clear picture of the person’s
health status
• Definition: Assessment is the deliberate and systematic
collection of data to determine clients current and past
health status, functional status and to determine client’s
present and coping pattern
Santosh Kumar

3. Objectives of Assessment
 Surveillance of health status, identification of occult
disease, screening, and follow-up care
 The periodic assessment, at regular intervals
 Increasing client participation in health care
 Accurately define health and risk care needs for
individuals
 Client must share in decision making for his own care
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Santosh Kumar

4. Purposes of Assessment
• Gather data
• Identification of nursing diagnoses
• Make clinical judgments about client's health status
• To evaluate outcomes of care
• Routine screening
• Eligibility prerequisite for health insurance, service, job
• Admission to a hospital or long term care facility
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Santosh Kumar

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What happens during assessment between a
patient and nurse?
• Establish the nurse-patient relationship
• Gather data-physiological, psychological, cognitive,
sociocultural, developmental, spiritual
• Identify patient strengths
• Identify actual and potential health problems
• Establish a base for the nursing process (Assessment)
Santosh Kumar

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Types of Assessment
• Initial Comprehensive Assessment
• Problem Focused Assessment
• Emergency Assessment
• Ongoing Partial Assessment
▫ Episodic/Follow-up Assessment
▫ Shift Assessment
▫ Screening Assessment
Santosh Kumar

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Continues...
• Initial Comprehensive Assessment:
This involves a detailed history or physical examination performed at
the onset of care in a primary care setting or an admission to a hospital
or long term care facility
• Problem-based / Focused Assessment:
It involves a history and examination that are limited to a specific
problem or complaint. This type of assessment is most commonly used
in a walk in clinic or emergency department and OPDs
Santosh Kumar

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Continues...
• Emergency Assessment:
This involves a rapid assessment during life-
threatening or unstable situation in order to safe life
• Ongoing Partial Assessment:
It is frequently performed on ongoing basis to monitor
and evaluate the patients progress, intervention, and
response to treatments
Santosh Kumar

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• Episodic/Follow-up Assessment: This type of assessment
is usually done when a patient is following up with a health
care provider for previously identified problem
• Shift Assessment: When individuals are hospitalized,
nurses conduct assessment each shift. The purpose is to
identify changes in a patient’s condition from baseline
• Screening Assessment: It is a short examination focused
on disease detection. It may be performed in a health care
provider’s office or at a health fair
Continues...
Santosh Kumar

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General Guidelines for Assessment
• Instrumentation
• Positioning
• Draping
• Preparation of the environment
• Patient preparation
• Techniques of physical assessment
Santosh Kumar

11. Don’t Forget
• Reviewing general information
• Introduction to client
• Cultural Awareness
• Obtaining the health history
• Pain assessment
• Holistic approach
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Santosh Kumar

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Santosh Kumar